Table 1. Maternal characteristics by ethnic origin.
| Europe | South Asia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| n = 349 | n = 184 | p | |
| Sociodemographics | |||
| Age, years | 30.6 (4.5) | 28.3 (4.5) | <0.001 |
| Primiparous | 185 (53%) | 76 (42%) | 0.01 |
| Educational level | <0.001 | ||
| <10 years | 15 (4%) | 33 (18%) | |
| High school | 109 (32%) | 91 (50%) | |
| College/university | 222 (64%) | 59 (32%) | |
| Married/cohabitant | 334 (96%) | 182 (99%) | 0.05 |
| Born and raised in Norwaya | 288 (83%) | 23 (13%) | <0.001 |
| Smoking at inclusionb | 26 (7%) | 1 (<1%) | 0.001 |
| Gestational age at inclusionc | 14.6 (2.4) | 15.9 (4.2) | <0.001 |
| Anthropometry | |||
| Height, cm | 167.2 (5.7) | 160.0 (5.6) | <0.001 |
| Pre-pregnant BMI, kg/m2 | 24.6 (4.8) | 23.7 (4.1) | 0.06 |
| Overweight (pre-pregnant BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2) | 82 (24%) | 40 (22%) | 0.6 |
| Obesity (pre-pregnant BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) | 45 (13%) | 17 (9%) | 0.2 |
| BMI at inclusion, kg/m2 | 25.2 (4.8) | 24.4 (4.1) | 0.05 |
| Sum of skinfolds (mm) | 69.4 (19.8) | 74.4 (18.9) | 0.008 |
| Glucose parameters at inclusion | |||
| Fasting glucose (mmol/l) | 4.4 (0.4) | 4.5 (0.4) | 0.03 |
| HbA1c, %/mmol/mol) | 5.1 (0.2)/32 | 5.2 (0.3)/33 | <0.001 |
| Glucose parameters in week 28 | |||
| Fasting glucose (mmol/l) | 4.7 (0.6) | 4.9 (0.6) | <0.001 |
| 2-hour glucose, mmol/l | 6.0 (1.4) | 6.4 (1.5) | 0.003 |
| Number of ultrasound study measurements | <0.001 | ||
| 1 | 6 (2%) | 12 (7%) | |
| 2 | 50 (14%) | 57 (31%) | |
| 3 | 293 (84%) | 115 (63%) |
Numbers are n (%) or mean (SD), and the p-value indicates the level of significance for the difference between the two ethnic groups, using t-tests for continuous and chi-square tests for categorical variables.
a Born in Norway and lived more than eight of her sixteen first years in Norway.
b Daily or occasional smoking
c Gestational age was derived from the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period (LMP). Term was calculated as date of LMP + 282 days. In 7% of women (in both ethnic groups) LMP date was either unknown/uncertain, LMP derived term differed >14 days from ultrasound term (from week 18–20 routine scan) or the pregnancy was a result of in vitro fertilization. Ultrasound term was used in these cases.